Apple iOS 10 is here. And with all new releases, there are a number of updates application developers (like iMobile3) should become familiar with. One of the more interesting enhancements in this new release is the integration capabilities of Siri, Apple’s voice-automated assistant, with third party applications.

To date, only Apple applications were able to use Siri’s functionality. But with iOS 10, third parties can start incorporating voice-automated assistance within their applications. Imagine sending a tweet by just saying the words. Or ordering a pizza without needing to go through a menu item selection process.

Integration may be limited to start, but remember, Apple isn’t the only tech giant that is investing resources to voice-automated technology. Amazon and Google have also released products that are bringing this functionality to our everyday lives. These investments and innovations shouldn’t go unnoticed. They could be a sign of things to come – and not just with consumer applications.

As iMobile3 continues to innovate commerce-driven applications, it’s interesting to start thinking about the day where we are using voice-automated assistance in more than just social media, curious web searches and voice calls. Mobile and tablet based point of sale (POS) applications are becoming more prominent in today’s world of retail and hospitality. Not all environments are ideal for a voice-automated POS system, but for those that are, it’s not that much of a stretch to envision POS developers incorporating voice functionality to their applications and businesses using it.

Could the day ever come where businesses can speak to their point of sale systems to complete a purchase, look up inventory, or issue a refund? Why not?